Fraternities step to the plate for Tri Delta philanthropy

Junior Max Egyed from SigEp batts against PiKapp during Saturday's Frats at Bat event held on the IM fields. Nick Rodriguez // Contributing Photographer
Junior Max Egyed from SigEp batts against PiKapp during Saturday's Frats at Bat event held on the IM fields. Nick Rodriguez // Contributing Photographer
Junior Max Egyed from SigEp batts against PiKapp during Saturday’s Frats at Bat event held on the IM fields. Nick Rodriguez // Contributing Photographer

The members of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority sported T-shirts that read “Dude, It’s For St. Jude” during their annual charity event, Frats at Bat on Thursday and Friday.

The shirts were quickly covered in stickers by members of fraternities during one of the activities, Delta Dash. During Delta Dash, fraternities competed to earn points based on how many shirts they put stickers on and the color of the girl’s shirts (different colors were worth different amounts.)

Frats at Bat is a series of events, which, in addition to Delta Dash, included button sales in the Breezeway, a softball tournament and several other competitions among the fraternities. All these activities helped raise money for the sorority’s philanthropy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Jenna Hennessey, Tri Delta’s philanthropy chair, was enthusiastic about this year’s Frats at Bat.

“With the support of our Greek community, we were able to put on a successful tournament and give to St. Jude, our amazing philanthropy,” Hennessey said.

Since their partnership in 1999, members of Tri Delta have been dedicated to raising money for St. Jude. In 2013 alone, the girls raised a whopping $62,000 for the Memphis healthcare facility.

“In terms of our chapter size and our ranking for nationals, we raised the second largest amount of money,” said Shelby Sedberry, vice president of public relations for Tri Delta.

This sum was even more impressive when combined with the contributions of all the sorority’s chapters. St. Jude’s recognized the effort earlier this month at the annual Tri Delta St. Jude Leadership Weekend.

In total, Tri Delta members across the country raised $15 million in the past three and a half years. That beat the sorority’s goal – $15 million in five years – by a full year and a half. The money will go toward a C Clinic, which are specialty clinics that offer resources to patients of St. Jude.

“We are very powerful, and we care about our organizations,” Hennessey said. “We’re dedicated to helping them.”

Even after reaching this goal, the sisters are continuing their tireless charity efforts. In addition to Frats at Bat, members are working hard to set up events in March for Tri Delta and St. Jude Awareness Month. This may include selling sweets in the Breezeway and possibly hosting a trunk show.

In the fall, Tri Delta hosts a letter-writing campaign called Sincerely Yours, an annual golf tournament, Tees for Tots, and a banner campaign Stick it to Childhood Cancer.

Tri Delta is not the only Greek organization with upcoming philanthropy events, though. Service events such as Frats at Bat are a staple to all Greek organizations, each of which has a philanthropy it supports.

Junior Nicole Swanson, a Tri Delta sorority sister, said doing philanthropy is an important part of Greek life.

“People go into sororities for different reasons, but it is the philanthropy aspect of Tri Delta that really shows me what amazing things 150 girls can do,” Swanson said. “When we say we are doing it for the kids, we really mean it.”